The government have already announced their plans to facilitate the safe transport of the 1 million students expected to travel home for Christmas this year. Whilst some of you will be on that first train home on the 3rd December, others may want to stick around to enjoy the merriment with your housemates. And, if you’re an international student, or for whatever other reason, you may have to spend Christmas at university this year.
Whilst your usual Christmas festivities may not be feasible, there is no reason why you can’t make this festive season just as joyous as usual. You and your housemates might be very used to rocking up to a Toby Carvery on the last week of term to bid each other adieu. However, this year you may have to roll up your sleeves and get stuck in yourselves. These are the top tips you need to make sure you and your housemates have the best Friendmas possible.
Planning
Consider the fact that your housemates who are international students may not be able to travel home for Christmas.
Any other year you’d probably be sitting around wondering what lucky friends of yours will get to attend your fabulous festivities. Obviously, no such luck this year. It looks like it will just be you and your housemates for this one. If you don’t get on with your housemates all that well, don’t fret! This could be the perfect opportunity to bond whilst you all muck in to make the day great.
Consider the fact that your housemates who are international students may not be able to travel home for Christmas. Make them feel at home by incorporating some of their country’s Christmas traditions into your day. You could exchange books like the people of Iceland on Christmas Eve as a part of Jolabokaflod, “The Christmas Book Flood”, or order KFC to emulate the holidays of those in Japan.
Decorations
Seeing as most students leave their homes mid-December, there’s little point in investing in a full-sized Christmas tree for the occasion. That, however, doesn’t mean you can’t give your student living room a make-over. Go all out; festive streamers, tinsel and bunting are a cheap and cheerful way to brighten up your house. Maybe even ask that housemate who has their life together to bring their fairy lights downstairs to make the evening sparkle that little bit more.
Food
Whether you’re going to go all out with a turkey and all the trimmings or keep it simple, the key to a fabulous Friendmas is to enjoy it. Don’t stress about making everything from scratch; you can find ready-made Yorkshire puddings, stuffing, roast potatoes, the lot, from your local supermarket for super affordable prices. My tip, to keep prices student friendly, would be to stick to Aldi or Lidl as they tend to be the cheapest.
If you’re feeling adventurous, make sure you follow recipes and plan your timings to the letter – no one wants burnt pigs in blankets! Justine Patterson has a great recipe for a Christmas dinner in just 2 hours which walks you through the process from start to finish.
Drink
Christmas is one of the booziest holidays for some of us so deciding what you want to drink during your feast is crucial. You can keep it classic with Buck’s Fizz (swapping the Champers for some £5 Prosecco though, obviously) and mulled wine, or try something new with a festive cocktail. For those of you who don’t fancy a tipple why not try whipping up some mocktails, or you could even keep it cosy with a hot chocolate.
Games
The festive season isn’t quite the same without a friendly fight over who gets to buy Park Lane.
For me, Christmas is all about the board games. The festive season isn’t quite the same without a friendly fight over who gets to buy Park Lane. Dust off your old favourites and get competitive. Don’t worry if you don’t have any, perhaps plan ahead and borrow from some friends or, if all else fails, stick to the trusty playing cards. Although, seeing as it is Christmas, maybe try something other than Ring of Fire.
And that’s it! Here’s your student’s guide to the perfect Friendmas. Make the most of it, you won’t live with your friends forever!
If you have any other tips you think we need to know, tell us in the comments!
Written by Nia Thomas
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